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Exercises That I DO NOT Enjoy

I’m a pretty open-minded person. I like to try all sorts of workout routines and moves, and I’m willing to try almost anything once if it has to do with fitness. There are a few things in the fitness realm that I’ve discovered I just do not like. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hate them (I can’t think of a single thing I actually hate) but there are a choice few I vastly prefer not to engage in. Here’s the short list:

Treadmill aka THE DREADMILL

I enjoy running outside, but there’s something about the treadmill that always makes me feel as if I’m a nanosecond away from falling and breaking my face. It feels unstable. How did we take something that feels so natural and make it feel so… awkward? I’m awkward on stable ground as it is. (Seriously, ask my husband, I’m prone to randomly walking into corners of walls and table edges.)

Elliptical

There really isn’t a reason that the elliptical sucks for me except that it makes my knees feel funny and I feel unnatural doing it. Also, like the treadmill, it’s BORING. I despise anything I have to do for an extended period with minimal change of view. Major snoozefest, man. Unless they face the weight room… 😉

Burpees

Burpees are pretty much the worst thing ever. I have occasional orthostatic hypotension, so the act of being down on the ground and standing up quickly makes me feel like I’m either going to vomit or pass out, which is never fun. Cross Fitters swear by them, and I’m sure they provide excellent calorie burn, but I am SO not a fan. You can keep your burpees.

Mountain Climbers

I also am not a fan of any exercise that puts a ton of pressure on my wrists. Now the lady in this video is fantastically fit, and I’m sure she knows what she’s talking about, but I’d rather do something much more fun, like kettlebells. Plus, I can pretty much guarantee you that you will never have a body like hers without lifting weights, so don’t let the mountain climbers deceive you. (Or maybe I’m just bitter.)

7 Comments on “Exercises That I DO NOT Enjoy”

Ugh to all of those. I started out – and lost most of my weight – on the treadmill and elliptical, but I have trouble going back to them now. My first outdoor run was when I finally realized how people could like the activity. When I was looking for a gym (because the weather doesn’t always cooperate here), an indoor track was at the top of my list. It’s not as exciting as a proper outdoor run, but at least I feel like I’m moving myself forward (and I have three separate weight areas to cruise by).

The other no-go exercise for me is anything with choreography. Back in my high school days in the 90s, I kept trying step aerobics and tae-bo and hating them. I’m not a coordinated person, and it gets worse the more I think about it. Flailing around with a side of anxiety didn’t make for a very good workout.

BURPEES! They KILL my knees SO HARD! Too fast for me too, pass-out-ville! Next would be Leslie Sansone walking tapes because I can’t stand her voice and her laugh and it gets SO monotonous after doing them a bunch, ugh!

You know, when I joined the gym I went right to the treadmill, probably because to a gym noob, it’s recognizable…and I realized really quickly that it seriously hurts my hip. I still don’t know what about a treadmill messes with my gait enough to cause pain, but I steer clear now, so definitely agreeing with you on the awkwardness there.

Now, when I go to.the gym instead of wandering around in the woods, my cardio alternates between eliptical and bike depending on what muscle groups I worked/where I feel more stiff. Both are boring, but that’s what mp3s and e-books are for.

My exercise nemesis is anything bouncy-jumping jacks, burpees, etc. There is not a sports bra in the world that can make those sort of things not completely horrible. No trampolines for me, thanks!